We are almost a 25th of the way through the Geopolitics World Cup – four games down, 100 to go – so it is the perfect time to reflect on what we have learned and noticed so far.
1. Empty Seats Explained
A peculiar cultural phenomenon has emerged: football supporters paying top dollar for the privilege of lingering on concourses. That was Fifa's explanation for all the empty seats at South Korea versus Czechia in Guadalajara. The stadium holds 46,000, and the official attendance was 44,985, but there were many more than 1,015 empty seats. A Fifa representative pleaded: "Please note that, during last night's match in Guadalajara, several ticketed fans could be seen standing in concourses rather than staying in their assigned seats throughout the match."
2. USA's Excitement
USA USA USA might be the most exciting host team since Germany in 2006. They walloped Paraguay 4-1 in Los Angeles, with Arsenal alumnus Folarin Balogun scoring twice. By half-time in his first GWC game, Balogun had scored as many World Cup goals as Marco van Basten, Wayne Rooney, Hugo Sánchez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Steve Bloomer combined.
3. Drinks Breaks Kill Momentum
Drinks breaks, though essential, are major passion-killers if a team is on top. Do not be surprised if coaches start to shape their tactics accordingly, aiming for a fast start to the fourth quarter.
4. The Chloe Kelly Paradox
The Chloe Kelly Paradox – that being left out can enhance your chances of individual glory – is playing out as expected. Four of the 12 goals have been scored by substitutes, including Oh Hyeon-gyu's winner for South Korea against Czechia and Cyle Larin's equaliser for Canada against Bosnia and Herzegovina. That match turned on an earlier triple substitution by Jesse Marsch in the 61st minute. With most games played in punishing heat, the World Cup is likely to be won by the best squad, not the best team.
5. Refcam Is the Future
Refcam is the future. So are Claude, populism and eejit trillionaires, so this is not necessarily a good thing, but the GWC version is a vast improvement on the Premier League's attempt last season. It should still come with a hangover warning, and there is a whiff of the refs being directed: "Keep looking at the goal to get the money shot – don't worry about fouls, we'll let you know if there is a penalty."
6. Best Kit in the Tournament
The USA USA USA kit is the best in the tournament, a future cult classic, and we will be taking no further questions.
7. Yaya Sithole's Untimely Shockers
Yaya Sithole is one of the finest footballers in a country of 65 million people. Yet whatever he achieves in his career, he is doomed to be remembered for the most untimely of shockers. Another South African, poor Pierre Issa, knows how he feels: Issa scored one-and-a-half own-goals against the hosts in South Africa's opening match of France 98.
8. Infantino's Humility
Gianni Infantino may have discovered the concept of humility.
9. TV Aesthetic
During Qatar 2022, Adam Hurrey of Football Cliches fame wrote that the TV aesthetic of a World Cup – once unique to each tournament – has been the same at every competition since the turn of the century. His point stands, but the blood-red backdrop to Canada's match gave it a unique flavour.
10. 4-4-2 Comeback
4-4-2, often dismissed as the unreconstructed oaf of football formations, might be making a comeback. According to Fifa, three of the eight teams in action so far have played 4-4-2. Then again, one of them was Paraguay, and they had their clock cleaned by USA USA USA, so we are not entirely sure what point we are trying to make here. Let us all calm down. We are only four games into the tournament!
